Narrative:

Flight X departure XA12 local PST on a schedule VFR tour of the grand canyon via the blue 1 route as per the sfar 50-2 flight requirements of 135 tour operators. The 1ST phase of the flight/tour was VFR without any restr. As we monitored our company frequency we were informed the ceilings on the tour route were lowering making the blue 1 impossible over the shiuwtz plateau. We transitioned from 7500 ft MSL to 5500 ft MSL and announced our deviation on sector frequency that we were departing blue 1 for the blue 2 and blue 2A. After deviating we were able to maintain VFR flight rule restrs and then rejoined the blue 1 from the blue 2A. As we monitored the ATIS from gcn we noted the field had gone VFR but by not much. The ATIS foxtrot said 400 ft variable broken, 800 ft scattered, 1200 ft overcast. The gcn airport is 6606 ft MSL and with 800 ft scattered that put the cloud base approximately 7400 ft MSL. The blue 1 route altitude is 7500 ft MSL with an allocation of plus or minus 300 ft for deviations. The gcn tower acknowledged our 20 DME out call and informed us to report 'the key' a visual landmark used by the gcn tower to know where aircraft are since they (gcn) do not have radar to track us. As we proceeded inbound at approximately 6-7 mi west of gcn the cloud base were lower than 7200 ft MSL. We had descended to 7200 ft MSL to maintain VFR. At that point we had lost visual with 'the key' and flew right into a cloud approximately 100 yards wide and broke out. I informed the captain we needed to maintain VFR and that our IFR plan was available to get to shoot the approach. This captain ignored my crew resource management suggestions and proceeded to fly right into another cloud at 7200 ft MSL and lost visual with the airport and the terrain. We reported 'the key' by myself getting a look down through the clouds break. The tower then instructed us to report 'international' another reporting point. We broke out and were VFR with visibility plus 10 mi and ceilings at approximately 8000 ft MSL making our landing a normal VFR landing. To summarize; we lost VFR flight requirements. I feel the captain's 'get thereitis' over pwred his decision making on doing the right thing and climbing and receiving our IFR approach clearance. To make matters worse was a passenger that was a former employee (director of flight operations) that was watching our flying. This passenger has sworn revenge on myself for me turning him into the FAA for a violation last yr. The captain had a run-in with him in the past as well. I feel that this passenger will turn us into the FAA for failure to maintain VFR as required. I realized that this passenger was taking careful notes as we flew and again feel he will try to turn us into the FAA as a revenge towards the company for having to resign. I have learned from this experience not to accept any flts with this captain in the future due to his 'can't teach an old dog new tricks' mentality. I am not the only first officer that has the reservations towards this captain as others have spoken confidentially about his risk taking!

Related reports:

Google
 

Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: FLC FLEW VFR INTO IMC.

Narrative: FLT X DEP XA12 LCL PST ON A SCHEDULE VFR TOUR OF THE GRAND CANYON VIA THE BLUE 1 RTE AS PER THE SFAR 50-2 FLT REQUIREMENTS OF 135 TOUR OPERATORS. THE 1ST PHASE OF THE FLT/TOUR WAS VFR WITHOUT ANY RESTR. AS WE MONITORED OUR COMPANY FREQ WE WERE INFORMED THE CEILINGS ON THE TOUR RTE WERE LOWERING MAKING THE BLUE 1 IMPOSSIBLE OVER THE SHIUWTZ PLATEAU. WE TRANSITIONED FROM 7500 FT MSL TO 5500 FT MSL AND ANNOUNCED OUR DEV ON SECTOR FREQ THAT WE WERE DEPARTING BLUE 1 FOR THE BLUE 2 AND BLUE 2A. AFTER DEVIATING WE WERE ABLE TO MAINTAIN VFR FLT RULE RESTRS AND THEN REJOINED THE BLUE 1 FROM THE BLUE 2A. AS WE MONITORED THE ATIS FROM GCN WE NOTED THE FIELD HAD GONE VFR BUT BY NOT MUCH. THE ATIS FOXTROT SAID 400 FT VARIABLE BROKEN, 800 FT SCATTERED, 1200 FT OVCST. THE GCN ARPT IS 6606 FT MSL AND WITH 800 FT SCATTERED THAT PUT THE CLOUD BASE APPROX 7400 FT MSL. THE BLUE 1 RTE ALT IS 7500 FT MSL WITH AN ALLOCATION OF PLUS OR MINUS 300 FT FOR DEVS. THE GCN TWR ACKNOWLEDGED OUR 20 DME OUT CALL AND INFORMED US TO RPT 'THE KEY' A VISUAL LANDMARK USED BY THE GCN TWR TO KNOW WHERE ACFT ARE SINCE THEY (GCN) DO NOT HAVE RADAR TO TRACK US. AS WE PROCEEDED INBOUND AT APPROX 6-7 MI W OF GCN THE CLOUD BASE WERE LOWER THAN 7200 FT MSL. WE HAD DSNDED TO 7200 FT MSL TO MAINTAIN VFR. AT THAT POINT WE HAD LOST VISUAL WITH 'THE KEY' AND FLEW RIGHT INTO A CLOUD APPROX 100 YARDS WIDE AND BROKE OUT. I INFORMED THE CAPT WE NEEDED TO MAINTAIN VFR AND THAT OUR IFR PLAN WAS AVAILABLE TO GET TO SHOOT THE APCH. THIS CAPT IGNORED MY CREW RESOURCE MGMNT SUGGESTIONS AND PROCEEDED TO FLY RIGHT INTO ANOTHER CLOUD AT 7200 FT MSL AND LOST VISUAL WITH THE ARPT AND THE TERRAIN. WE RPTED 'THE KEY' BY MYSELF GETTING A LOOK DOWN THROUGH THE CLOUDS BREAK. THE TWR THEN INSTRUCTED US TO RPT 'INTL' ANOTHER RPTING POINT. WE BROKE OUT AND WERE VFR WITH VISIBILITY PLUS 10 MI AND CEILINGS AT APPROX 8000 FT MSL MAKING OUR LNDG A NORMAL VFR LNDG. TO SUMMARIZE; WE LOST VFR FLT REQUIREMENTS. I FEEL THE CAPT'S 'GET THEREITIS' OVER PWRED HIS DECISION MAKING ON DOING THE RIGHT THING AND CLBING AND RECEIVING OUR IFR APCH CLRNC. TO MAKE MATTERS WORSE WAS A PAX THAT WAS A FORMER EMPLOYEE (DIRECTOR OF FLT OPS) THAT WAS WATCHING OUR FLYING. THIS PAX HAS SWORN REVENGE ON MYSELF FOR ME TURNING HIM INTO THE FAA FOR A VIOLATION LAST YR. THE CAPT HAD A RUN-IN WITH HIM IN THE PAST AS WELL. I FEEL THAT THIS PAX WILL TURN US INTO THE FAA FOR FAILURE TO MAINTAIN VFR AS REQUIRED. I REALIZED THAT THIS PAX WAS TAKING CAREFUL NOTES AS WE FLEW AND AGAIN FEEL HE WILL TRY TO TURN US INTO THE FAA AS A REVENGE TOWARDS THE COMPANY FOR HAVING TO RESIGN. I HAVE LEARNED FROM THIS EXPERIENCE NOT TO ACCEPT ANY FLTS WITH THIS CAPT IN THE FUTURE DUE TO HIS 'CAN'T TEACH AN OLD DOG NEW TRICKS' MENTALITY. I AM NOT THE ONLY FO THAT HAS THE RESERVATIONS TOWARDS THIS CAPT AS OTHERS HAVE SPOKEN CONFIDENTIALLY ABOUT HIS RISK TAKING!

Data retrieved from NASA's ASRS site as of July 2007 and automatically converted to unabbreviated mixed upper/lowercase text. This report is for informational purposes with no guarantee of accuracy. See NASA's ASRS site for official report.